Jane Hunter
A Small Act V
Indigo Pigment, Oak Gall Tannins, Acrylic Ink and Charcoal on Bute Linen
20.5cm x 20.5cm
Unframed
 
We are drawn to practices that understand landscape not as scenery, but as kin. Scottish artist Jane Hunter’s work is rooted in geology, weather and the felt experience of place — attentive to belonging, relationship and the quiet exchanges between human and more-than-human worlds. Earlier works translated topographical and geological mapping into painted form; today, that language continues as an emotional cartography. Through staining, tilting and layering diluted pigment across canvas and paper, each piece becomes a slow record of time — of sun on skin, salt on air, stone beneath hand — inviting contemplation and reconnection.
 
FROM JANE
 
This new collection of paintings is a conversation and exchange between artist and earth. The use of natural pigments, alongside the human-made, deepening the works relationship to place. They have been physically in the making since the seeds were sown in our community dye garden in the spring of 2024.  The linen, woven. near my home on Bute, is saturated with pigment gently extracted from the plants l've grown and foraged here. These plants, pigments and fibres tell a story of place, time, space, care, weather, earth, sharing, learning and community. Each piece of fabric is imbued with this and lays the foundation for the artwork to be built.
This moment of transition and development of materials, combining the natural pigments with synthetic, speaks of the process of change. A liminal space which acknowledges the time and effort involved in these more sustainable practices, but with positivity and hope for what is possible.
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These specific works include pigments extracted from indigo and woad leaves (blue) and marigold flowers (yellow), in combination with acrylic inks, soft pastel and charcoal. The frames are stained with an ink made from acorn caps and alder cones responsibly foraged from our local community forest.
 
The desire to move to a more environmentally friendly way of producing work, in this time of climate emergency, is something I know is high on the agenda of many artists and makers. However, I've discovered that it can be overwhelming and complicated and is perhaps best approached as a series of small changes which will build over time to make a cumulative impact. I have been using acrylic ink and synthetic pigments in my painting, so that feels like an important place to begin to make changes. I started to experiment with pigments extracted from kitchen waste and foraged wild materials, alongside establishing a dye garden at our local community plot where I'm growing a selection of plants which can be harvested for pigment. This is learning which will continue to grow an develop within my practice for years to come.